Combined furniture and radio receiving apparatus



y 1932- J. H. FARRELL ET AL 1,857,716 1 I COMBINED FURNITURE AND RADIORECEIVING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 17, 1950 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a Q Q F i H12 i 3 mum W7. WM

fluUOA-A Jaw/m7 awn? y 1932' J. H. FARRELL. ET AL 1,857,716

COMBINED FURNITURE AND RADI6 RECEIVING APPARATUS Filed Nov.17, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZ? Z M o q .93 -96 a one til Patented May 10, 1932 ETEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES H. FARRELL, or nrcnmonn, AND CRAWFORD 'r.wEs'rMoRELANn, or was'r POINT, VIRGINIA COMBINED FURNITURE AND RADIORECEIVING APPARATUS Application filed November 17, 1930. Serial No.496,302.

Our invention relates to combination furniture and radio receivingapparatus.

The invention has for its object to produce a compact and artisticcombination between commonly used articles of furniture, such forexample, as a secretarial bookcase and a radio receiving apparatusincluding a dynamic speaker; and the invention provides for theattainment of this object a combination in which the radio apparatus isincorporated with the furniture in such manner that the functions of thefurniture are not in the least interfered with by the apparatus, nor isthe normal appearance of the furniture noticeably altered by theappearance of the apparatus, the combination being constructed with aview to the production of pleasing artistic effects as well as to thefull preservation of the functions of the components. The invention willbe found especially desirable and useful where space is limited, as insmall living apartments, since it incorporates with necessary articlesof furniture a radio receiving set without in the least impairing orrestricting the usual functions of the furniture, and thus eliminatesthe necessity of providing separate space for a radio cabinet.

We will particularly describe our invention with reference to theembodiment thereof shown by the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a secretaire bookcase embodyingthe present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a rear view showing the radio receiving set partly withdrawn;and

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section.

The article of furniture illustrated consists of a lower desk unit andan up er bookcase unit, constituting a secrtaire ookcase.

The lower unit will be recognized as belonging to a widely used type,comprising a lower chest of drawers and an upper writing desk. The bodyof this unit includes vertical side boards i0, a horizontal top board 11and a back board 12, the whole being supported on legs 13 integral witha base 14. The-upper front edges of the side boards 10 are cut on adownward incline from the top board 11, and secured between the sides isa horizontal board 15 which divides the desk space from what nearer thefront than the back, for a purpose presently explained.

Inelosed in the desk space is a unit which may be separately constructedand then inserted in this space and suitably secured.

This unit comprises vertical sides17, a hori-- zontal shelf 19, verticalpartitions 20 extending upwardly from the shelf, a pair of vertical sidepartitions 21, and a board 22 covering the front edges of partitions 21and shelf 19, the construction providing a pair of side compartments andan upper horizontal row of compartments. The central one of the uppercompartments is utilized for a drawer 23, while the remainingcompartments are open at the front for the deposit of letters andstationery. All of these conipartments are closed at the back by a board24..

The front board 22 covering the inner walls of the several compartmentsis formed with,

an oval opening having its major axis horizontal and its centercoincident with the center of the parallelogram formed by the edges ofsaid board, the edges of said opening being covered by a finishing bead.The space back of board 22 is clear for the insertion of the radioreceiving set, which may be of any of the various makes now on themarket. The chassis 25 of the set is supported on a horizontal board 26which is slidably mounted so that the set can be conveniently withdrawnfor, inspection and repair. As indicated in Fig. 2, the ends of thisboard are formed with tongues 27 which are slidable in horizontalgrooves cut in the side boards ,10 and, 1f desired, the board may beformed with finger holds or other device to facilitate its withdrawal.This board 26 is in the plane of the front board 15 and is adapted toabutthe inner edge of the latter when fully inserted, the board 15terminating just back of the board 22. The instrument panel 28 of theradio set registers with the opening in front board 22, and when the setis fully inserted this panel engages the head covering the edges of saidopening and gives the effect of a sunken panel in the board.

The upper, or bookcase, unit comprises vertical sides'29 respectively inthe planes of sides 10 of the lower unit, a horizontal 'top board 30, aback 31, and doors 32 hinged to the front edges of the sides. The doorcomprises glass panes formed in the artistic design shown. An ornamentalboard 33 is suitably secured above the doors 32 and is formed I with acircular opening symmetrically arwhat we claim as new and desire tosecure by ranged with respect to the curved edges of 33, this openingbeing provided with an ornamental grille such as shown. Screwed orotherwise attached to the back of board 33 is a dynamic speaker 35having the cone thereof in registry with the opening therein. In orderto reinforce board 33 and suppress or dampen vibrations transmittedthereto by the speaker, a pair of right-angular blocks 36 arerespectively arranged at the sides of the speaker with their verticalfaces secured to board 33 and their horizontal faces secured to topboard 30. A cable 37 connects the speaker with the receiving set in thelower unit.

From the foregoing it will be clear that the invention provides a verycompact and artistic combination between a secrtaire bookcase and aradio receiver. It will be seen that the receiving apparatus isincorporated with the furniture in such a way as to enhance rather thandetract from the appearance thereof and in such a way as to take up aminimum amount of space therein that might otherwise be utilized, andmoreover i that the radio apparatus is conveniently accessible forrepair and inspection. While the invention has been described withreference to a secrtaire bookcase it will be obvious that certainfeatures of the invention are independent of the this particulararticle.

Now having' fully described our invention,

Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A combined desk and radiocabinet, comprising a desk element provided in its upper portion with acompartment, said compartment having its front and rear sides open, alid hinged at one edge to the front of the desk element to swing about asubstantially horizontal axis and adapted to cover the open front sideof the compartment, said lid also serving as an arm rest when in thelowered position, a generally horizontal slidable tray mounted withinthe desk element near the bottom of the compartment and movablerearwardly to a position outward beyond the back of the desk element, aradio receiving set mounted upon the slidable tray and having aninstrument upon its forward side, and a structure mounted within thecompartment and held stationary therein with relation to the slidabletray, said structure including a case for housing the receiving set,said case having a front wall provided with, an opening to afford accessto the instrument from the front of the desk element, said case havingits rear side open for the passage of the receiving set, said casecoacting with the compartment for afiording a space between thecompartment and the case, which space is accessible from the front ofthe desk element, said structurehaving a portion covering the rear sideof said space.

2. A combined desk and radio cabinet, comprising a desk element providedin its upper portion with a compartment, said compartment having itsfront side open and having an opening at its rear side, a stationarystrip arranged at the bottom of the compartment and adjacent to its openfront side, a lid hinged at one edge to the stationary strip to swingabout a substantially horizontal axis and to cover the open front sideof the compartment, a generally horizontal slidable tray mounted withinthe desk element at the bottom of the compartment and at he rear of thestationary strip and disposed generally in the plane of the strip, thestrip limiting the forward sliding movement of the tray which is free tobe shifted rearwardly from the strip, a radio receiving set mounted uponthe slidable tray and having an instrument upon its forward side, and acase mounted within the compartment and held stationary ther ein withrelation to the slidable tray and adapted to house the receiving set,said ease having an opening at its rear side for the passage of thereceiving set and including a front wall having an opening for affordingaccess to the instrument from the front of the desk ele-

